Nine Winners Of GHUME Awards Smile Home With Prizes

By: Gele Agbai

The winners of the 2023 Governor Hope Uzodimma Media Excellence (GHUME) Awards were presented with their prizes on Tuesday, March 17, during a celebratory event held in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Information, Public Orientation and Strategy in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

The nine awardees expressed their joy, as the event marked the culmination of a three-year wait since the Committee on Selection of GHUME Awards led Ukana Omon announced the winners for the 2023 edition.

During the ceremony, the State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, Honorable Declan Emelumba, apologized for the delay in hosting the event and distributing the prize money.

He accepted responsibility for the postponement, explaining that he had initially hoped for the governor’s physical presence at an elaborate ceremony.

However, due to the governor’s demanding national and state responsibilities, it became necessary to proceed with the awards presentation regardless.

Honorable Emelumba described Governor Uzodimma as a media-friendly leader committed to supporting journalists in their professional duties, within legal and moral boundaries.

He underscored the importance of professionalism among media practitioners, emphasizing that such standards underpin the establishment of the awards.

In congratulating the winners, selected solely on merit, he urged journalists in the state to maintain accurate reporting of events.

He expressed concern over instances where some journalists tacitly endorse negative press by not countering misinformation from external sources.

“This governor has been fair to media practitioners. I urge you to reciprocate by serving as his ambassadors and fulfilling your social corporate responsibility,” he stated.

The Commissioner elaborated, “Governor Uzodimma is a media-friendly leader who endeavors to promote journalism professionalism. We should defend him where he has performed well and not remain silent in the face of unjust criticism.”

Honorable Emelumba also addressed a report about pensioners holding a church thanksgiving to express gratitude for surviving the non-payment of gratuities.

He highlighted that Governor Uzodimma had addressed inherited gratuity arrears in two batches and was preparing to pay the third batch.

Furthermore, he noted that Governor Uzodimma pays the highest minimum wage in the country, N104,000, despite Imo State not being the wealthiest.

He also praised the fair and transparent nature of the Uzodimma administration, citing the example of the Imo At 50 Quiz competition, where the winner was the State Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In response, Obinna Chineke Joachim, winner of the Presenter of the Year (Igbo) category, expressed gratitude on behalf of his fellow awardees to Governor Uzodimma, the commissioner, and the selection committee for instituting the awards and recognizing them as winners.

Joachim described the redemption of the prizes as a pleasant surprise, given the delay that had led to skepticism.

He urged the governor to prioritize training and retraining journalists in the state, acknowledging that the Uzodimma administration is notably supportive of the media, unlike in some states where journalists face mistreatment.

Each winner departed the event with a cheque for N1 million and a commemorative plaque.

It is noteworthy that the GHUME Awards were inaugurated in 2021, with seven journalists honored in the first edition, and nine journalists recognized in the second edition in 2022.